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Black on Hoffman

Trevor Hoffman was not immediately available to reporters late Friday night after nearly blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium, but here's what manager Bud Black had to say about his struggling closer:

"It looks as though the overall stuff – the velocity, the change, the arm action – is all there. It’s just, for whatever reason, right now in this short window of a season, the location is just off three, four, five, six inches, whatever it is.

"Like tonight it looked like he stuck a lot of balls in Bardo’s glove (catcher Josh Bard) that were (called) balls. I don’t know whether he just has to readjust his sight lines or whatever, but it’s not like he’s all over the place.

"He’s hitting the glove. He just must be off.''

Hoffman walked two and allowed two hits and a run Friday against the Dodgers. In five games this season he has pitched 4 2/3 innings and given up seven hits, four walks and six runs for an ERA of 11.57.